Grow Up, Not Apart
by Brookii
Summary: Through our lives, we've grown up... together. And that's how we'll always keep it. We'll grow up, not apart. Senri/Rima
1. Collapse

**Grow Up, Not Apart  
>Chapter One: <strong>Collapse  
><strong>AN:**_ Thanks for reading - Will be updated hopefully every Friday if that is possible :) I will give you the definitely update-day soon. _

**(Age: **Rima is seven years old and four months, Senri is seven years old and seven months.**)**

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><p>Senri and I... we'd never separated in our lives, not since we met nine years ago at age seven.<p>

We both preferred to stick to telling people we met a modelling job. The truth? So much more bitter and detailed than the simple answer we went by.

I was visiting my sister with my parents, outside a hospital... okay, a mental hospital... when I saw him.

Sitting on the stool, head down, I thought he was waiting for someone.

I never liked visiting Lexa. We were so close as kids that it brought pain seeing her in her current state. Mum knew this. "You don't have to visit Lex," she always said softly.

"I want to," I answered.

And I did. Lex loved me and I love her. I couldn't leave my baby sister because she was so ill. It'd be selfish to leave her.

And that was when I heard the fire alarm.

It went off all the time. A lot of the patients just liked playing around with the alarm for fun. Nothing actually ever happened.

I was so used to the alarm; I tried my best to ignore it. Why wasn't it stopping?

There was a strange, scratchy feeling in my stomach that said, 'something was wrong'.

Then, I heard a loud shout.

"Fire!"

Only a few people paid attention to this, like me, a lot of us knew what went on and how it happened three or four times a week.

I gazed over my shoulder - I don't know why, it was just one of those weird things where you just do it because you feel the need to - and I saw him. Sitting on the stool, ducking his head in shame, as if he had done something wrong. He looked up at me. I, yes, felt embarrassed for having him catch me looking at him. But, as he looked up, I noticed the watery tears in his pastel blue eyes.

I actually thought maybe he could have been an escaped patient, due to his beautiful maroon hair being an absolute mess. (I later learnt his messy hair was just typical-Senri-Shiki and I learnt to love this.)

There were tears in his eyes as I quickly studied his grey hoodie and jeans, which clarified the thought of him being a patient.

I walked over to him. "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

I expected him to nod and say with that teary voice, "yeah, I'm fine."

I knew he had to be seven like me but he looked younger with his tear-stained face and tousled hair.

His answer was "No."

I was hesitant to reply. "Why not?" I asked.

"There's a fire," he told me, finally looking up.

I didn't know what the reason could have been. His eyes of ice somehow melted my heart and there was this searing pain in my stomach, but a nice one that made me want to smile. I hadn't actually smiled properly since second grade, when Lexa had been admitted here. Then I realised the reason. It was him.

"No, it's fine. The fire alarm goes off all the time. There's no fire –"

"There is," he interrupted. "My mother started it."

The only thing I could do to stop panicking was stake one look at the little boy in front of me, with his dark red, wine-coloured hair hanging over his innocent steel-blue eyes, the boy who looked like he collapse if I did anything wrong and I rushed over to him on impulse and gave him a small hug, but I knew it wasn't the second I saw pillars of grey smoke tearing out into the reception area.

I don't know what happened, because I can't remember. We were all evacuated and were alerted that the fire hadn't reached the patients.

"Everyone's fine, Lexa's fine," my mother was smiling and laughing, "Lexa's fine!"

Yes, I was glad Lex was fine. But was it wrong to hope that the boy I had seen before was fine, too? I didn't think I'd ever see him again, though.

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><p><strong>AN: **_Please review so I can continue! I love all feedback !_


	2. Hello

**Grow Up, Not Apart  
>Chapter Two: <strong>Hello  
><strong>AN:**_ Thanks for reading again! ^_^ Please review!_

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><p><strong>(Age: <strong>Rima is seven years old and nine months, Senri is eight years old.**)**

I liked that girl. She was nice, kind, pretty, and smelt vaguely of chocolate. I hadn't had chocolate for… awhile now. My mother used to love it. She'd given me lots of it as a kid, in hopes it would add a bit of weight to my skinny body. Of course, she had absolutely no luck. When I moved in with my great-uncle, he banned – well, all good foods, basically. No more chocolate, lollies, McDonalds, you get the picture. And of course, he told me, "You need to take care of this body. After all, it's not yours alone. Eating all this crap won't be any good for your father, now will it?"

Yeah, he said that a lot.

I told my mother all this when I was visiting her at the asylum.

"What did he mean when he said that my body wasn't mine?"

"Nothing, Senri," my mother answered. "Nothing."

Of course, I didn't believe her. "Alright," I answered, pretending I didn't care. Of course I did, though.

Mother always did extreme things when she was upset. When I told her that my great-uncle had made another comment about my body not being mine (something along the lines of, "Senri, be careful not to hurt yourself when you cross the street… the body you may hurt is not just your body") she demanded to see him at once so she could tell him to stop it. The operative word being 'tell' and not 'ask'.

My mother was in the mental asylum for a while. I wanted her back but it was probably for the best. She was unstable and – yeah, a total pyromaniac.

And she took that little obsession one step too far when she tried to light the hospital on fire.

I didn't visit her for three weeks afterwards. She knew that was her punishment. But it felt like my punishment too. Upon seeing her though, she told me that she had exciting news.

She said that she would be released from the asylum.

That shocked me. Hello? She just tried to set the place on fire and you're letting her go? A mixture of shock, sadness with only a little happiness – those were my current emotions. Would she be safe away from here?

I felt selfish. I wanted her to stay here. I didn't want her back home.

"That's great, Mum," I lied with a pretend smile.

"Senri, are you lying?" she asked.

Oops… shouldn't have smiled. Way too obvious.

"No, I'm actually happy, Mum. For the first time in a while."

Lying again. The first time in a while would be when I met the girl with pale ginger pigtails. A person my age who knew someone that was like my mother… though having said that, no-one was quite like my mother.

And I think, maybe, I'll never find a girl like Ginger either.

I can't believe I'm calling her Ginger. I should have asked for a name at least.

I didn't see Ginger for so, so long – I didn't exactly expect to either. Then, when I was ten, Ginger and I… re-met, I suppose. Mum had ordered Great-Uncle to sign me up for a modelling company because she just knew everyone would love her 'adorable little Senri-kun-kuns'.

Whatever. I was doing the modelling because it didn't faze me the slightest, whether I did it or not.

I remember lining up at the desk, face pressed on the cold wood as my great-uncle filled in paperwork. I remember turning around – I don't know why, I just did – and seeing her with her perfect, soft, orange pigtails and lively, indigo eyes.

Ginger.

Now that I think of it, mentally addressing her as 'Ginger' wasn't very nice. Her hair isn't even ginger-coloured; it's a soft blonde-orange… what's that shade called again… Burnt Sienna, that's it. I couldn't have called her Burnt Sienna, though… somehow, I think asking for a name would have worked out better.

I never expected her to recognise me. Never expected that. But she did. She gazed at me with cerulean eyes (I could have called her Blue-Eyes, now that would have been nicer) and walked over.

"Hello," she said quietly. She must have recognised me, too.

"Hi," I replied.

"I'm Rima."

"Senri."

"How's your mother?"

"She's fine."

"Who were _you _visiting in the hospital that day?"

"My sister, Lexa."

After that, we never spoke of the hospital – our first meeting – again. We never spoke of my mother or her sister Lexa ever again. We went on as if we had never met before.

And, somehow, I found it comforting to know that there was just one person in this world that would keep quiet for me, someone that wouldn't talk about the past for me, someone who would be able to say, 'Senri's mother' without laughing, someone I could trust.

I hope that she trusted me, too.


	3. Promise

**Grow Up, Not Apart**  
><strong>Chapter Three:<strong> Birthday  
><strong>AN:** Sorry for late update :( You guys can kill me if you need to ;) I have had **so much **homework I am not even **joking**. So I'm sorry, and enjoy this new chapter!

After seeing him at the modelling company, I felt relieved. Really relieved. I actually hadn't dreamt him up.

Lexa died on the 12th of January. I remember sitting locked up in my bedroom, tears in my eyes yet refusing to cry. She was only eight when she died, coincidentally the same age that I was when I met Senri.

I've modelled with him for a month now. And it's my tenth birthday today.

I really, really, really hate my birthday.

It's in the middle of winter so the weather is freezing cold, firstly. Secondly, because it's pointless. There are some days I wish I was dead, so why after three-hundred-and-sixty-five of these days must I celebrate another 365 that are going to come? And thirdly because it's just doesn't seem _fair _that I can celebrate my birthday when Lex can't.

But Senri Shiki took no notice of my reasoning. Upon seeing him this morning (I had clearly explained that he can't acknowledge that it's my birthday, and I had also explained why, and I had told him that I would arrive at work and that he wouldn't dare to mention it was my tenth birthday) he was holding a small box in his hand.

"Happy tenth birthday."

"I hope you die, I really hope you do," I hissed, but of course he just gave me a look (when you knew him well enough and got to understand Shiki-language you can translate this into his way of smiling) and said, "stop wishing my death and open it", so I did.

It was really weird, at first. What he'd given to me. At first, I thought it was just a box. Then I read the letters on the package – which confused me just a little more.

"'Pocky'," I read aloud.

"Y-yeah, it's chocolate," he told me sheepishly.

"Chocolate. Thanks."

I do like chocolate.

Resiting smiling at him.

Resisting hugging him.

Resisting revealing any emotion apart from dislike towards his celebration of my birthday.

Resistance is _so _boring. And I don't resist, I smile at him, I hug him. And I can't resist whispering in his ear, "_I love you_."

"_I love you too."_

When we were little, we didn't realize the power of those words. Or did we? Did we mean it the same way we did as we got older?

"Open the box," he said, after I (reluctantly) detached myself from his warm arms.

"Why? It's my chocolate, you can't eat it."

"Rima, please open it," he ordered. "And I can so eat your chocolate."

I lightly kicked him, but opened the box. "Happy?" I asked.

"Not until you look _inside_ the box, Rima," he answered.

I looked inside the box and I saw a small, silver ring (as well as several chocolate sticks). I tipped the box and the silver ring fell on to my palm.

"It's a promise ring," he explained. "Soldiers used to give them to their girlfriends, as a promise that they'd come back after the war. Except, well, mine's a promise that we'll stay friends forever. We'll grow up… not apart."

Why was he so irresistible?

I gave him another hug.


	4. Missing

**Grow Up, Not Apart  
>Chapter One: <strong>Missing  
><em>AN: Sorry for an impossibly late update :( There's no excuses, I've let you all down :'( I hope I can update more quickly in the future~! _

"Senri? Wake up, you're always asleep."

It was Rima, scolding me. I feel her hand on my arm, and I can feel cold metal from the promise ring I gave her two months ago.

"I'm awake. And I like sleeping… go away, Rima," I scolded her but I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto the bed beside me.

"Senri! Stop!" Rima squealed; sounding shocked, yet happy.

"Your uncle wants you," she told me. "I shouldn't sleep over your house anymore… your uncle always ruins our fun."

"My great-uncle, Rima… and you better not stop sleeping over," I said, prepared to make a threat if she was serious.

"You know I wouldn't stop," she said.

"Why does he want me?" I asked, yawning.

"I don't know, but you better go. He'll get impatient soo-"  
>"Senri! GET HERE! DID THAT STUPID GIRL DISOBEY ME AND NOT WAKE YOU UP LIKE I TOLD HER TO!"<p>

"Don't call Rima stupid, she's the most intelligent and beautiful girl I've ever known. And you're just jealous because she's the only person who can actually wake me up."

Rima squeezed my hand.

"Stay up here," I told Rima. "I don't want him punishing you too."

Rima nodded and sat on the bed, taking the emergency Pocky we kept hidden safe underneath my pillow. "Help yourself," I permitted but she would have done so anyway.

I walked downstairs and saw my great uncle's (scary, ugly, hideous, mouldy, and various offensive adjectives) face looming at the end of the staircase.

"Senri, it's your mother."

"What about her?"  
>"Sh-she's missing."<p>

I know immediately that my mentally unstable mother going missing is nothing good. Missing, missing, missing, missing, missing, missing, where would she be? I grab my coat and throw it over my pyjamas. "Let's go look for her," I tell my great uncle.

"S-Senri, you can't do that."

"Why the Hell not?"

"Don't say 'Hell', you're eleven for God's sake."

"I'm ten."

"Same thing."

"Whatever; I'm going to look for my moth–"

"Senri, you are not. There are already people out looking for her."

"Fine."

"And I am about to become one of them. Goodbye."

And then he leaves.

I'm instantly worried about my mother. I sit on the stairs for ten minutes. Then I remember that Rima is upstairs. I bolt up to my bedroom, realising that she would be lonely and maybe even worried about me. The door is closed, which is strange; because I swore I left it open.

I open the door. "Hello?" I ask. But there's no reply. Rima is not on the bed; where I left her. Just an un-opened box of Pocky.

My two favourite girls have both gone missing. Everything crumbles so easily.

LINE

I've made a basic log of events for today.

**8.26 – **Rima (rudely) (not really) wakes me up from a dream I was having about winning a pet cow in a contest of who could do the most impressive cartwheel.

**8.29 – **I eventually trudge downstairs.

**8.30 – **Scary Great-Uncle tells me crazy Mother is missing.

**8.32 – **Said great-uncle goes out to find said Mother.

**8.43 **– I realise, with great horror that Rima is missing.

It's so terribly I don't bother going to sleep again. It's 1.48 and Rima and mum are still missing. I've basically been having panic attack with no one in the house all this time. I consider calling Rima's parents, but I know that is one conversation I want to miss.

_Me: Hello, Mrs Touya?  
>Rima's Mother: That would be me, who's speaking?<br>Me: Senri Shiki.  
>Rima's Mother: The same Senri Shiki who left his Superman underwear here on the 12<em>_th__ of May.  
>Me: As painful as it is to admit, yes.<br>Rima's Mother: Well, Rima's not here right now, she's at a friend's place.  
>Me: Um, yeah, I would be that friend.<br>Rima's Mother: Why are you calling, then?  
>Me: Rima's missing.<br>Rima's Mother: Playing hide-an-seek, then? Hope you find her!_

And then she would hang up. Her mother is sort of scary like that.

And hour later, my great-uncle is back.

"Rima's missing!" I tell him the second he walks through the door.

He sighs. "Honestly, you are unhealthily infatuated with that _girl. _You don't even ask about your mother's whereabouts."

"OK. Where is my mother's… whereabouts?" I ask, though I simply don't care; not when Rima's gone.

"They found her. She'll be staying somewhere else tonight. They don't think it's safe if she's here," my great-uncle explains.

"Who's 'they'?" I question.

"Don't ask questions, Senri."

"Sorry. Um, can I ask one question?"

He sighs. "_What_?"

"What do we do about Rima?"

"Don't know; don't care. You spend too much time with that girl."

"But we need to find her!" I beg, on the borderline of crying.

"Well, we can't now!" my great-uncle shouts. "There's a storm outside, and we don't want to be caught up in that!"

He sees the looks in my eye that tells him I don't mind, so he reaches for the door and locks it with a smirk. "And don't consider trying to find her," he tells me, and I know he's not joking. He really doesn't care about Rima.

I want to argue back, but of course I don't. I'm just a ten year old kid and he's the wise, older powerful vampire I've been told to respect my whole life; I'm not about to get myself in that much trouble.

So I sit down on the stairs and wait for Rima. I wait and wait and wait, bu she doesn't come back.

I eventually (somehow; the stairs were so cold I don't how I did it) feel asleep on the hair, ice staircase. Interesting bed. Rima's right, I do sleep a lot, but I can't change that.

Mid-sleep, I'm startled awake by the sound of a doorbell. I bolt upright and rush to the door. Yes, I'm hoping it's Rima.

When I open the door, there's a dark grey-purple sky and there is water leaking off the eaves of 'The Shiki Manor'. And in front of me is a girl with soaking wet hair, tied in to two _low_ pigtails that drip with water and hang on her shoulders. Her face is pale and her hair is saturated, but her jewel-blue eyes remain the same as they always have been.

"Rima!" I gasp, reaching out and hugging her tightly.

"It's your entire fault," she rasps, but hugs me in return anyway.

"Why did you go outside?" I asked as I walked into the bathroom, adding hot water to the bath so she can clean and warm up.

She follows me in.

"Well, I heard about your mother," Rima tells me. "How she went missing and all… and… and… I wanted to find her."

At this point in time, I literally squeezed her from hugging too hard.

"Senri – you're –hurting – me…" Rima managed to rasp.

"Sorry," I say as I pull away from our comforting embrace. "But, next time, tell me where you're going."

She tilts her head and gives me a slight smile.

"Where's the fun in that?"


	5. Fever

**Grow Up, Not Apart  
>Chapter Five:<strong> Missing**  
><strong>_(Age: Senri – 12 years, 5 months; Rima – 12 years, 2 months.)_

"Rima?"

"Nggh?" I asked drowsily.

"You're… lying on top of me."

Senri had slept over at my house that night. He did quite often. We were twelve years old at the time and had had many sleepovers together. A lot of adults didn't like us sleeping in the same room (especially not in the same bed; which we always did) because they thought we might get up to something that we shouldn't. We were twelve for crying out loud. What did they think twelve-year-olds would get up to, anyway?

I realised that Senri was right; half of my body was on top of his.

"Sorry," I muttered, embarrassed, and went to move off.

"Don't," he said. "Stay here," he ordered, pulling me closer.

"Don't!" I giggled.

This was a little game we had developed when we were ten. Senri would always pull me on to the bed, next to him and we would wrestle each-other playfully for the next few minutes.

Only this time was different. Instead of tackle me, he just cuddle me closer and kissed my cheek gently. I whispered his name, but very quietly, so I don't think he heard. He nestles his head against mine. That was when I realised. Senri's forehead was read hot against my cheek. "Senri, you're burning… I think you've got a fever…"

"Who cares," he muttered.

"I do! You're obviously ill –"

"No, I'm not."

"You are!"

Then I felt his lips pushed up against mine. My best friend, my twelve year old best friend, Senri Shiki, was kissing me.

It wasn't that bad actually. It felt… well, good. Then I realised his lips were red-hot.

"Senri, Senri, stop," I demanded.

"I love you, Rima," he whispered, sweaty hands grasping my shirt desperately. Now he really was sick.

"That's just the fever talking," I answered, pushing his hands away. Though I knew he loves me, we had said so to each-other enough before. But we meant friendship-love, not love… like… like this.

"No, I do, Rima. I love you. You are the single most important thing to me in my life. No-one knows how much you mean to me. No-one means as much to me as you do."

"Shiki, stop it!"

Usually, calling him by his surname let him know how serious I was, but he doesn't stop this time. Instead he grabbed me and hugged close to his chest.

"I love you, Rima."

I pushed him off me. "Stop it. I'm getting Mum."

"Don't. Let us have a few moments alone. I never get to spend that much time alone with you nowadays."

I bite my bottom lip in hesitation. Then, although unconvinced, I nod.

"Okay."

He pulls me on to the bed. We lie there for five minutes. I gaze over at him. He's fallen asleep with his arms around me. His cheeks and entire face are red with the illness. His sleeping face is adorable, innocent. But he's so hot; it feels as if he's on fire.

"Senri…" I whispered. He's definitely asleep. I try to pull away, but he stirs and I realise that I can't move without waking him up, and I don't want to do that. I can't get to my mother without waking Senri, so I close my eyes and try to doze off myself in the position Senri held me in. His arms were wrapped tightly – protectively – around my body, we were pushed up, chest-to-chest, our noses touching we were so close. I couldn't possibly fall asleep.

I remembered the details of the kiss in my mind. I closed my eyes when we were kissing, but why? Why do people always close their eyes? I guess it would be awkward to watch someone kissing you…

Then I started feeling a bit upset. He'd been kissing me – I knew that – but had I kissed back? Yes. But that wasn't what was bothering me. _Why _had I kissed him in return?

Did I like Senri in that way?

It was clear he didn't have those feelings about me. He was my best friend, he felt like my _brother._

After a while of me running everything through my head and analysing it half-to-death, Senri woke up.

"Rima…" he started.

"Mm?"

"Why am I cuddling you like this…" his eyes widened as the memory came back. "Did we… did I…"

I looked at him solemnly, persuading him to give me an answer.

"Did I… kiss you?"

I nod, and he looks bewildered for a second.

"But don't worry, it was just the fever."

"Fever?"

"Yeah, Senri, you're sick…" I stopped when I realised that he was fine – his skin was cool and it's typical pale shade of milky white.

"Was I?"

"You must have slept it off," I said, filling in the blanks.

He nodded.

"Right," he said.

"And don't worry about the kiss," I confirm quickly. "It was just the fever."

"Just the fever," he agreed.


	6. Blood

**Chapter Six: **Blood  
><strong>AN: **I'm soo sorry this chapter is heaps shorter than it should be. I'm very sorry, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Rima and I were about thirteen and we were lying on the grass at her house, when I heard her make a sudden loud sound. It sounded like she was crying, sounded like she was in pain.

"Rima?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered as she stood up. "I'll be back."

Before I could ask her what was wrong, she ran off. I waited for her. When she didn't return, I stood up and walked around the yard, trying to find her. Just as I walked past the garden shed, I could hear gasping. I opened the shed door. The shed was dark and I couldn't see Rima in there, all I could see was the brief figure of her body and two bright, red eyes.

"Rima?" I asked softly, almost whispered.

"G-go away!" She ordered, feebly.

"You're thirsty, aren't you?" I asked. "When she didn't reply, I answered myself.

"Do you want to drink my blood?" I asked, quieter. "No!" she argued back. I pounced on her then, tackling her to the shed floor. I put my neck to her lips. "Drink, Rima…"

She didn't need to be told twice. She opened her mouth, wide, and her fangs extended and pierced my neck. I flinched at first, but it wasn't the first time someone had drunk my blood.

After what felt like a long time, Rima stopped.

"Senri?" she whispered. "Did I take too much?"

I stopped, my head spinning, aching, practically bursting. I could barely answer… yet the faint reply I spoke was still a "no".

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," I said, despite my raging headache.

She bit the tip of her finger and slipped it in my mouth. "Drink it," she ordered. "I obviously took too much. I don't want you going anaemic or something."

I smiled at her slightly and licked her finger.

"Shiki, you can actually _drink_ it, you know."

So I did. Her blood tasted so good… I'll never forget that taste, ever.

I always let Rima drink my blood if I thought she needed it. And sometimes she asked. But I never, ever asked her. Occasionally she'd offer, but I never asked. Because just that one time I licked her finger I knew that no blood could taste better than Rima's.

That one time we swapped blood was all I needed to sate my thirst forever.


End file.
